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Nintendo is Bringing Super Smash Bros to the Switch This Year

Nintendo announced today that they will be bringing Super Smash Bros. to the Switch later this year. A number of games were announced for both the handheld Nintendo 3DS and the breakout hybrid console, the Switch, during the company's latest presentation, but the biggest announcement was saved for last: the return of the Smash Bros franchise was teased with a trailer and given a 2018 release date on the Switch.

The Smash Bros. franchise has been bringing the marquee characters from Nintendo properties (such as Mario, Link, Samus, and Pikachu) for an all-out brawl since 1999’s Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. Characters from third party games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man, Mega Man, Metal Gear, and Bayonetta have been appearing in Smash Bros. titles since Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii in 2008. The game has spawned professional tournaments and a dedicated following, thus making the teaser for a Switch version the crown jewel of the Nintendo Direct announcements.

Nintendo announced Smash Bros. for the Switch during their Nintendo Direct presentation today, which is currently being developed under the working title Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. The game was revealed along with a short teaser trailer. You can watch the trailer in the section above.

The trailer begins with a playful battle between a boy and girl Inkling - the characters that populate the recent successful Nintendo franchise Splatoon. As the battle wages, the world goes from a flat white to a deep black, causing the girl Inkling a moment of concern. A gigantic flaming version of the familiar Smash Bros. emblem is then seen by the girl Inkling. The presumed fighters from the series are posing in silhouetted relief off in the distance just ahead of the flaming icon. The trailer then cuts to both Mario and a Breath of the Wild-outfitted Link basking in the flames, before cutting back to the Inklings taking in the logo.

The Super Smash Bros. trailer confirms effectively confirms the Inklings in the series. This would be a first for the characters, who have been in the Nintendo repertoire since the 2015 Wii U game Splatoon, whereas Mario and Link have been staples of the fighter game since its inception. Other characters clearly visible in the trailer are recurring fighters for the series: Samus, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and Kirby. There are quite a few other characters in the lineup, though it's unclear who they are. Unfortunately, fans may have to wait until the next Nintendo Direct to find out.

Speculation on the nature of the game across the web seems to focus on whether the Switch Smash Bros. title will be a port of the 2014 Super Smash Bros. for Wii U or a new entry into the series. Given that the commercial failure of the Wii U led to the games for the system being underexposed, and considering how much success Wii U ports for the Switch have been to-date (including the enhanced Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), it would be fair to make the assumption that the Switch game will be an enhanced port. It has been emphasized that the quick turnaround time from the game’s announcement to its impending 2018 release would also point to a port being the case. The placing of the trailer, and its initiation of the Inklings seem to indicate, however, that an all-new game is, in fact, possible. The working title that makes no mention of the previous iteration also lends credence to a brand new Smash Bros. hitting store shelves in 2018.